Dreaded Fascination
by mostlypsychotic
Summary: While the Riddler is imprisoned in Arkham Asylum, he begins to observe the fascinating doctor who frees himself every night. Only when they begin speaking does he begin to think of him as an equal, a tool for his escape, and possibly even a friend.


The screams weren't unusual in these depths of the prison. Edward had suffered countless sleepless nights due to the loud, almost ghostly shrieks that knew no rest. In his tiny cell, he was left to listen curiously and imagine the fate of the voices, or think up a few more riddles and scratch them into the walls. Tonight, however, they seemed closer than they usually were, at least close enough for him to make out what the poor soul was saying.

"_Please_, Doctor Crane! Get them off of me!"

He raised an eyebrow and climbed off of his cot, nearing the shatterproof glass doors of his cell just as the door to his cell block opened, revealing a panicking, nameless inmate stumbling around the room. Edward observed as he continued to scream, grabbing at himself as if trying to rid himself of some insect, and then collapsed unceremoniously to the floor, twitched a few more times, and went still. Frowning, he leaned in until his nose was pressed to the glass, looking for a sign of life in the man. On the opposite end of the room, he saw that his cellmates were inspecting the newcomer as well, only to hurry back to their cots upon the arrival of the second man. A menacing shadow was cast over the room and the body in the center of the floor, and in an instant, Edward was the only one not feigning sleep. The doctor cast fear in the hearts of every inmate in the asylum, as he intended, but he couldn't bring himself to be afraid when a glass panel prevented the gas from reaching him. It was cramped, but at least he was safe enough from Doctor Crane.

At the moment, he had taken a seat on his cot, watching as the scientist turned the body onto its back and smirked over it, observing each inch of the inmate's face and murmuring to himself.

"Ah, yes...millipedes seemed to do it. A common fear..." he said with an almost cheerful sigh, before catching sight of the Riddler out of the corner of his eye. In an instant he was at the glass, glaring through his mask at the captive. "You! Are you interrupting my work?"

"Not at all, Jonathan. I was merely watching, as you may have noticed. Please, continue as you please." Edward wasn't sure what had possessed him to actually respond to the man, or what had caused him to stop fearing him, but now that he was face to face with the madman, he couldn't help but be just a little entertained by his responses.

"Do not call me 'Jonathan,' you...nothing stops me from doing the same to you right now," the Scarecrow hissed, gesturing behind him at the still-motionless man on the floor.

"Apparently. Tell me, how did you manage to free yourself, Scarecrow? Perhaps you could get me out, too? I've been itching for a nice walk back in Gotham." The Riddler looked up expectantly, moving back off of his cot and closer to the glass that separated the two. Jonathan was silent, his bare hand clenched into a fist and his needle-clad one tapping impatiently against his leg.

"That is no concern of yours, 'Riddler.'" The almost mocking way in which he used the alias made Edward fume just a little, but he refused to give it away. "I am not going to let you out unless it is for my gain."

"Of course not. I'm just curious, of course," Edward replied, tapping his fingers on the glass teasingly. "And please, call me Edward. Or Mr. Nigma, if you must be so formal."

"E. Nigma...you're a clever man," Scarecrow replied sarcastically, turning away. "You are putting off my work. I have research to conduct before sunrise." He scooped up the body and slung it over his shoulder surprisingly easily, considering his frail form, and vanished out the door again, leaving his fellow super-criminal to return to his business and snicker to himself.

"Until next time, Jonathan," he murmured as he lay down. "I know you'll be back."

Indeed, it only took a day for the Scarecrow to be in the cell block again, glaring irritably into the Riddler's cell as the other inmates watched nervously.

"Welcome to my humble home," Edward teased, moving up to the glass. "Can I help you?"

"I haven't decided yet," Jonathan replied menacingly, tapping his fingers as he tended to. "You're a rather interesting prisoner, Mr. Nigma."

"You flatter me."

"You're narcissistic and self-assured, with a stubborn, childish streak and a desire to base your crimes around puzzles," the doctor went on, counting the traits on the needles.

"Have you been reading my files?" the Riddler asked with a slight smirk. His question was swiftly ignored.

"But when it comes down to it, I consider you another test subject. Another chance for research." Doctor Crane's words were becoming more of an insane murmur, as if he had stopped talking to Edward and returned to his own thoughts. "I have the same question about you as I do about any other inmate in this wretched facility. What is it that you fear, and how does that fear drive you?" Edward rolled his eyes now, returning to his cot and kicking up his feet against the glass.

"Very interesting, doctor. Tell me, what do you think you know, then?" he asked. The two simply stared at each other for a moment more, challenging each other silently through the glass.

"You have a fear of being proven wrong and thereby failing. I assume it was brought on by the behaviors of your father. You create elaborate schemes to prove that you are indeed capable of outsmarting the enemy, and when they fail, you panic. It is that simple."

"You sound pretty sure of that, doctor."

"You may want to keep your attitude in check, Mr. Nigma," Jonathan replied, shaking his head slowly. "I have begun to consider freeing you, after all, but it is my decision what you are freed for." Edward reached for the bowler cap that lay on the floor, pressing it to his head as he watched.

"For?" he echoed, biting the inside of his cheek. The Scarecrow only nodded and turned away, apparently done for the night.

"You'll see. I hate to be the one who breaks the news, Edward, but you are not as hard to figure out as you might think," he called over his shoulder as he vanished.

It took him three nights to come again, this time with a small pouch clenched between his fingers.

"I want to show you something," he snapped, his hoarse voice shaking the Riddler out of rest. He grinned coolly as he stood up, looking at the bag as his visitor waved it in front of him.

"I was wondering where you had run off to," he said, though he didn't look at the owner of the pouch. Jonathan huffed, gesturing again at the bag.

"I had work to do. My cell block got some fresh inmates from low-security...such easy prey," he explained, chuckling a little. "But, that is not why I'm here. Do you know what this is, Edward?" He held out the bag between two of the needles on his hands, his eyes as unmoving as always. The Riddler replied without missing a beat.

"I would assume that it's some form of that fear gas you love so much. Judging by your previous threats, I would guess that you're here to threaten me with it."

"Correct. I have found a way to release this into the vent above your cell, and there is nothing stopping me from doing so," the doctor replied, holding it up to the prisoner's face. "Would you like to argue with me? Tell me why you don't deserve to be a test subject?"

"Well, Jonathan," Edward replied thoughtfully, hitting a nerve within the doctor again. "I don't think you actually want to do that. The reason you've taken so much interest in me is because, despite your not wanting to admit it, you and I are almost _equals_. You know I could help you, Jonathan. All you have to do is let me out." They stared at each other for a long moment, which Edward took to contemplate his situation. It really could only go one of two ways- he was set free and took the opportunity to flee the island, or he died of fear.

The Scarecrow turned instead, his loose clothes sweeping across the floor with the impact.

"I have more work I could be doing," he said irritably as he stalked away. "You've wasted another one of my precious nights." As the door sealed itself shut again, Edward relaxed a little, falling back onto his cot. He hated to admit it, but Jonathan had actually succeeded. For a minute there, he had actually been frightened.

As the next night began to fall over Arkham Island, the Riddler was fully dressed and seated on his cot, gazing in front of him at where his hat and cane lay side by side. He knew that Doctor Crane would come tonight. He really was obsessive, when it came down to it, and he wouldn't allow himself to stay away for long.

Sure enough, the door slid open and the familiar, unsteady gait of the doctor sounded on the tiles. Edward remained facing the wall, his back to any visitor that would come to see him even as the footsteps stopped and a soft clicking became audible. It had been a while since either of them had heard the sound of key-cards being shuffled together.

"Once I free you, you will do as I say," the Scarecrow commanded, his voice slightly distracted from the search. "Call it returning the favor. You'll make a fine assistant, I suppose." The Riddler remained silent, waiting patiently for him to find the card. "Ah, here we are. Edward Nigma- _gah_!"

The moment he had attempted to scan the card, a powerful jolt of energy was sent through him, blasting him back onto the cold floor. Above him, he could see the door open, revealing the Riddler as he put on his hat and moved to stand over him, jabbing his shoe into the fallen doctor's chest.

"I have to say, I didn't think that would work. I've been spending weeks fiddling with the wiring, but I thought perhaps _you _would notice. What a shame." He looked up at the rest of the cell-mates, who had been awoken by the blast, and tipped his hat cheerfully. "Thank you very much, gentlemen! You've been a great audience, but I think I'm going to head back to Gotham, now." He smirked down at the Scarecrow once more, then headed for the doorway, though he continued to speak as he did.

"But I'll give you this, Jonathan- you were a worthy opponent. Maybe even an equal. I'll look forward to seeing you soon."


End file.
